New app teaches Costa Rican biodiversity

Interested in Costa Rican biodiversity? A new app claims to be the easiest way to find out about Costa Rican species.

TOUIT is an easy-to-use guide that allows users to access information about 500 species commonly spotted in Costa Rica, with high-resolution images, information and maps.

Using Geopositioning tools, the app finds a user’s location, then coordinates and issues a list of the most common species found in that particular area, including amphibians, mammals, reptiles, birds, spiders, scorpions, plants, insects and fungus.

The app was launched this week by the National Biodiversity Institute (INBio) and the Costa Rican Electricity Institute. It works on mobile phones using Android and iOS operating systems.

TOUIT takes its name from Touits costarricensis, a bird that flies from sea level up to 3,000 meters.

“The main goal of the app is to educate people about Costa Rican biodiversity so that they know what we have and [can] help to preserve it,” Maria Auxiliadora Mora, INBio’s information technology manager, said.

TOUIT is free and is available in English and Spanish versions. Download it at www.touit.cr.